"An attempt by Phillips to escape from the 28-foot covered lifeboat was thwarted by a pirate, who dove into the Indian Ocean after him," CNN reported. According to Pentagon officials, the pirates tied him up afterwards.

The Alabama resumed its course for Mombasa on Thursday. The crew will stay on board while FBI conducts an investigation, said Maersk president and CEO John Reinhart.

February 15, 2009

Venezuela's Chavez wins vote to eliminate term limits

President Hugo Chavez won a vote Sunday to eliminate term limits, vowing to remain in power for at least another decade.

The referendum proposed that all public officials would be able to run for office indefinitely, contrary to the previous constitutional rule. Previously, the president was limited to two six-year terms in office, BBC News reported.

Chavez said he needs to serve beyond the end of his term in 2012 in order to secure his socialist revolution.

Thousands of people gathered outside Miraflores Palace, where Chavez sang the national anthem and addressed the crowd, the Associated Press reported.

February 8, 2009

Deadly wildfires kill 128 in Australia

The death toll for Australia's deadliest wildfire is 128, with the number expected to rise, authorities said.

Wildfires have been burning for weeks in Victoria, but wind and higher temperatures caused a deadly firestorm to sweep through the region. The southern region of Australia is suffereing worst drought in a century.

"The Victoria Country Fire Service said some 850 square miles (2,200 square kilometers) were burned out," reported the Star Tribune. The affected area is comparable to an area larger than Luxembourg, or three times the size of Hong Kong, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Australin Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in an interview with Australian television that up to 400 troops will head to the affected regions to aid in rescue and recovery efforts.

"Rudd announced the creation of a AU$10 million ($6.7 million) relief fund to immediately assist the more than 600 families that have lost homes to the blaze. He also promised troops would be deployed to help fight the flames," reported CNN.

At least 750 homes were destroyed in Victoria state, where all the deaths occurred.

Police suspect arsonists are responsible for the deadly blazes.

"Our fire experts and our own investigators have suggested that the way that it happened, how fast that it happened, that there is good evidence to believe that it was lit," said state police commissioner Christine Nixon.

January 29, 2009

Nationwide protests break out in France

Over one million protestors stormed the streets of France on Thursday in protest of President Nicolas Sarkozy's new economic policies.

Dubbed the "black Thursday" strike (Associated Press), at least 300,000 marched in the capital with additional protests in Marseille, Lyon, and 200 other cities. Public offices and schools were forced to close, and transportation was difficult to navigate.

The protests were "meant to highlight unemployment and declining spending power in a time of crisis ", reports the International Herald Tribune. This protest was one of the largest demonstrations in 20 years and were deemed successful by its organizers.

Workers from eight large workers' unions across the country walked out on their jobs. An estimated one-quarter to one-third of public sector workers participated in the protests. François Chérèque, secretary general of the CFDT union, said that private sector workers came out in unexpected numbers.

As Paris protests were coming to an end, violence broke out when youths threw objects at the police near the Opera Garnier. Police responded with tear gas. No arrests have been reported.